Shockproof package



1955 E. R. RYNO ETAL SHOCKPROOF PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1951 United States Patent SHOCKPROOF PACKAGE Earle R. Ryno, East. Orange, N. .L, and William M. McKillop, Jr., Manhasset, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Merle M. Hoover Application October 15, 1951,,Serial No. 251,364

4 Claims. (Cl. 244-138) and instruments having delicate adjustments elaborate packaging must frequently be resorted to in order to insure that the article will be available for use at its destination. There are moreover emergency times when other articles may need to resist very great shocks as for example when supplies need to be dropped from a moving plane. In such cases it is customary to attach to the article a small parachute to reduce the impact with the earth to a figure which can be controlled. Such parachutes, however are carried by passing winds making it uncertain where the dropped article will alight, or even whether it can be recovered at all.

It is another object of this invention therefore to provide a shock resisting package which can be dropped straight down with the accuracy of precision bombing, and which is capable of absorbing the forces of the impact without damaging the contents.

It will be clear that the more severe the conditions to meet the greater must the shock resistance of the package be. In the following description and the accompanying drawings, several forms of the invention have been shown which are adapted to meet different conditions. In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a central section of the packaging element, and a side elevation of the completed package, parts being broken away to show the interior construction. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of a modification. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation partly in section of a modified form of completed package, and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 10 represents a cylindrical shell which is shown as divided intotwo interfitting portions 11 and 12, to keep the parts in alignment, but permit the turning of one upon the other. Within the shell is a flexible tube 13, having its upper end attached around the periphery of the shell portion 11 as by being drawn over the end and down upon the outside of the shell as shown at 14, where it may be held in place by an annular ring having a threaded cylindrical portion 15 fitting over the down turned tube end, and also serving to receive a cap 16 after the package is comlete. p The bottom end of the flexible tube is gathered together and attached to the center of a base 17 by and means which will cause the tube end to rotate with the cap. Since rotation is provided between the two halves of the shell, the cap may be firmly fixed upon the end of the shell portion 12.

By reason of the fact that the tube is gathered together at the bottom, the whole tube tends to gather more or less into a general conical form, which assists in the rapid formation of the package, since the article to be packaged, here shown as a radio tube, may be dropped into the cone, by which it will be held from falling to the bottom. It results that without further manipulation the upper half of the tube may be twisted causing the portion of the tube below the article to twist into a rope form, until the rotation causes the tube to gather together and twist into rope form above the article. When this twisting has brought the whole tube into suflicient tension, to give the required support to the article, the cap 16 may be put in place and the package is complete.

2,700,518 Patented Jan. 25, 1955 The construction of Figs. 3, 4, and 5, is designed for heavier duty. For this purpose the lower end of the tube 13 is attached to-the periphery of the, shell section, 12. to give thesame construction at the one end as at. the other. The reason for this lies in the fact that the taut conical portion of the tube which extends between the. periphery of the shell and the end of the rope portion, givesa much greater resiliency to shock along the axis, than does the central connection of Fig. 1. There are end caps 20 and 21 on the ends of this package but these may be forced upon the end of the tube without screw threads, as ordinarily the package may be opened by cutting the shell and tube. This embodiment is illustrated as packaging a 75 artillery fuse.

With this type of package an initial twist of about one turn is given to the tube before inserting the article, this will bring the tube into the conical form which will, temporarily support the article while the twisting is completed. It is a very simple matter in the twisting to insure that the article is centrally placed in the package.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is designed for the most severe service as for example the dropping of supplies from a plane at considerable height. The general construction of the shell 10 in its relationship to the flexible tube is the same as in the previous embodiment, except that the twisting of the tube is provided for by providing upon the upper end of the shell a rotary head to the periphery of which the upper end of the tube is attached. This head may take the form of two concentric rings of angular cross section 30 and 31, which fit over and rotate upon the upper end of the shell, and which clamp the upper end of the tube between them as shown. Except for this rotative feature of the top head the upper and lower ends of the tube are sup ported alike, and at each end there is provided a dome shaped cap 32 and 33 completely to enclose the tube and its contents.

The exterior of the package is provided with vertical fins 34 conical in shape so as to extend out further at the top, for the purpose of directing the package vertically downward to facilitate landing it at the precise point desired. These fins extend up above the top of the dome, and serve also as legs on which the package can stand in the inverted position. The fins are however cut out near the top to provide space for the cap, at 34.

To meet the most severe conditions a shock absorbing element will be provided upon the lower end, which may be built according to standard shock absorbing principles. As here shown there is provided over the cap 33 a nose 35, having a cylindrical side wall 36 and a dome shaped end wall 37 the interior of which conforms to the outer wall of the cap 33. Means are provided for holding the nose spaced from the cap, as shown but in a manner to permit it to be telescoped onto the cap to compress air between them. To this end, a cylindrical sheet of an elastic material such as a section of a rubber tube, may have one end of the rubber tube firmly attached between the cap 33 and the shell, the tube itself extending upwardly around the shell and having its other end firmly attached to the upper rim of the side wall of the nose. This cylindrical sheet will be strong enough to hold the nose in place and it will bear against the inside of the cylindrical wall of the nose tight enough to guide the nose as it slides upwardly upon the remainder of the package. Vents 39 may be provided upon the nose to allow the escape of air.

With this construction it will be clear that if the package be dropped from a height it will be guided into a vertical path by the fins. On this account the operator can place the point of landing almost exactly. When the package strikes the first effect is to compress the air between the nose and the cap until a suflicient air pressure is built up within the nose to bring the package to rest. During this time the resilient manner in which the article is supported within the package greatly softens the portion of that shock that is transmitted to the article. In general the best cushioning should be found when the shock absorbing element absorbs the energy of the package elements, while the tube brings the article itself to rest.

With any of the constructions herein disclosed the article is supported against lateral shocks as well as against axial shocks the resilience of the tubular material both in the twisted or rope portion and in the conical portions which support the ends of the ropes.

It will be noted that during the twisting of the tube to enclose the article there is a great tendency for it to shorten. With certain materials such as the plastic films of the polyvinol group or the rubber groups, this shortening effect can be wholly met by the stretchability of the film itself. It will be clear however that however stretchable the film may be it must still retain resiliency in the completed package. Under other conditions a part of the shortening effect may be met by making the tube initially long enough to compensate. This feature is shown in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. It will be understood however that this is primarily a feature of the particular material chosen forthe flexible tube, rather than of the manner in which it is supported.

The different embodiments herein shown are illustrative of the invention, and are not intended to limit the invention thereto.

I claim:

1. A shock absorbing package comprising a hollow shell, a flexible tube within said shell having its ends attached to the periphery of said shell one end of said shell being rotatable, an article to be packaged within said tube in the middle thereof, said tube being twisted above and below said article by twisting said rotatable end to provide a conical supporting diaphragm formed from said tube at each end of said shell and whereby said package is suspended under tension between the apices of said diaphragm.

2. A device according to claim 1 having a plurality of fins upon its exterior arranged in vertical planes, and

having a closed bottom and a shock absorbing means associated with said bottom.

3. A device according to claim 1 having a plurality of fins upon its exterior arranged in vertical planes, and having a dome-shaped bottom, a nose of contour similar to said bottom, slidable on said shell, to form a compression chamber with said bottom, there being vents to relieve the compression of impact.

4. A device according to claim 1 having a plurality of fins upon its exterior arranged in vertical planes and having a dome shaped bottom, a nose of contour similar to said bottom, slidable-on said shell, an elastic tube attached at one end to the dome shaped bottom, and at the other to the periphery of the nose whereby on compression of the nose the elastic tube will be stretched and said dome shaped bottom and said nose form a compression chamber, and said elastic tube prevents the escape of air from said chamber, and there being vents to permit the relief of pressure within said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

